Vigil
by TheZaibatsu
Summary: With the discovery of the Ice Queen, Arendelle has gone from an obscure northern kingdom to the center of the world's attention. How will the kingdom and its people hope to face the outside world without help? First fanfiction. Inspired by 4mation's "Argos" with many OC. Contains Elsa/Anna in latter chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Whew, ok first fanfic, lets see how this goes! Couple of things first: This story is inspired by 4mation's own story "Argos". Seriously, go check that out if you haven't already. If you love yourself some Frozen and you love some Game of Thrones (and really who doesn't?) go read it! Do it, I'll wait here.**

**Done? Good. Also a shout out to battousa24 for helping me put this thing together. Without him the final quality of my chapters would be a whole lot worse and that is something I am not afraid to admit. His own stories are also awesome as well, go check them out too!**

**And of course I need to include that I do not own any of the characters, setting, or anything else to do with Disney's Frozen. Any constructive criticism you guys can provide, whether big or small, for my own story however would be immensely appreciated.**

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The kingdom was teetering on the edge of summer and fall by the middle of August. Throughout the town it was easy to sense that everyone was in a mad dash to finish up what they were doing and get home as quickly as possible, both for the night and the coming season. The townsfolk were scurrying left and right and locking their doors, local merchants were closing their wares to the public, and what few drunkards there was were probably asleep in the alleys by now.

Kaya knew this was the only time she felt it was safe to meet.

She quickly pulled her hood over her head and discreetly rushed out of the markets to the harbor where her acquaintance would be waiting. The plan was to meet him exactly after dusk had fallen, but she quickly realized that at her current pace she would be several minutes late.

_No matter,_ she thought; _better to be late than be exposed._

At last when the sun had completely set and the moon was at the beginning of its twirl around the earth did she arrive at the docks. Several small merchant ships had been docked for a couple of days, among them were the rather ordinary looking _Benjamin_, a British schooner that sat idly by on the farthest dock. Of course, Kaya knew that such an unremarkable ship would make a good enough meeting place; after all, being unremarkable was one of the most important things in her line of work.

Kaya quickly arrived at the short dock the ship was anchored in, being careful to watch her step on the rotting wet wood. At the front of the ship stood a normal looking fellow, shorter than the average man and a little overweight, dressed in the dark yellow cloths of a humble merchant man topped off with a brown hat to cover most of his graying brown hair.

"I'm sorry madam but the last of my best wares were sold today and I don't think anything I have left could impress a fine girl such as you," he called out to her.

"I was told by another salesman that you have some of the finest Venetian silk this far north," She replied, know that only _he _could come up with a convoluted correspondence such as this.

"As a matter of fact, I believe I do my lady," He smiled, "Come aboard and you can feel the elegance of the cloth yourself!"

Without another word Kaya removed her hood to let her short black hair feel the slight breeze the night had created and climbed up the schooner's ramp to its top deck. There she found his contact standing alone on the middle of the ship with a warm look on his face.

"Kaya, my girl, it has been far too long!" her old friend exclaimed, "Nine months it has been hasn't it? I was wondering when you were going to arrive. You always did have a nasty habit of showing up late for important meetings."

"I suppose it is something you taught me a long time ago when I had just started out, Viarmo," Kaya chuckled, "I seem to recall you being late to distract the guards before the rest of us could nab the finest wine from the storehouse. Something about the Baron of Westumberland's sister distracting you the night before?"

Both of them laughed at that for a minute, but the entire time neither person had moved an inch on the deck, remaining half a dozen meters apart and not daring to step closer. As the chuckling died down Viarmo's face turned to that of complete seriousness.

"I take it you have a couple men with crossbows a reflex away from lodging an arrow into my head?" He asked.

"But of course, no doubt you have done the same." She replied coolly.

"Half a dozen at this very moment. Par for the course, as the saying goes, you understand?"

"We were always taught such things were we not? Precautions are precautions..." Kaya answered.

"… and business is business, even in such a pretty place such as this. I may be old but I remember the words too, Kaya," He then clapped his hands together, "and boy is it booming at the moment! You and I are no doubt going to live very happily if we manage to get out of this trade in time."

Viarmo began to walk to his left in a perfect circle, and Kaya responded by doing the same thing. The two shuffled across the deck as Viarmo continued to speak.

"It makes sense, of course. After all, we are living in _very_ extraordinary times the two of us. The magnificent inventions that are being created these days! The people moving to and fro en masse across the oceans in great vessels of coal and steam! The railroads turning faraway countries into a mere few hours from home..."

"…and the discovery of the Ice Queen." Kaya muttered.

"Indeed!" Viarmo stopped moving and exclaimed, "I bet that sure has changed your own priorities hasn't it? The one secret that you never uncovered: why did the kind and courteous former King and Queen, gods rest their souls, find it necessary to trap their own child, their own _heir_, to the confines of her room? I can't blame you though, no one could have guessed in their right mind the cause for such drastic measures, certainly not I."

"Humble now are we Viarmo? I would never have expected you to empathize with me."

"Like I said, extraordinary times my friend. It has been what, only a month or so since your majesty created her 'eternal blizzard'? No doubt thanks to the marvelous inventions of just the last few years do people know about her the world over! It is a shame when you think about it however," Viarmo sighed, "Men and women such as us will no doubt be obsolete a few decades from now."

"Oh? How so?" asked Kaya.

"Think about it Kaya!" he responded, "Who knows what new revolutions we will see twenty or thirty years from now? And then look at us standing here! We are all bound to the old ways, the teachings past down for the last two thousand years! Our era of power is going to end soon Kaya; we best make the most of it while we still can…"

Kaya pondered her old friend's words. The world was changing, she agreed, but whether or not it would be to their advantage was something she wasn't so sure of yet.

"…But I have digressed long enough," Viarmo came back from thinking, "we have wasted enough time as it is. So, what is it you need to know about the Southern Isles?

"Yes," responded the younger spymaster, "I need to know what the King of the Southern Isles intends to plot against Arendelle."

"From what him and his sons have told me, nothing." Responded Viarmo, "He chastised Prince Hans for his deploring and unforgivable embarrassment he caused the family, and he has been stripped of what little titles he has and restricted to his quarters. It is a shame, I always thought of him as the most promising of the siblings. Were it not that he was last in the line he could have become one of the greatest leaders my kingdom has yet seen."

"That bastard managed to outwit both of us Viarmo! He almost brought both of our ruling families to rubble!"

"Believe me I would know, he is certainly of his and her majesties' lineage. However you must admit it yourself that his plan was quite impressive and understand that I must commend him for his schemes even as I approve of his necessary punishment."

"I suppose so," said Kaya incredulously, "I am surprised though by your lord's actions; I never expected the king to be so harsh even to his thirteenth son."

"His majesty knows that it is all about image in the family's current state,"He raised his eyebrows, "something your own master would be rather keen to know."

"My Queen knows that she will have to tread lightly when handling any foreign affairs in public. I believe that she has the power to become as great a ruler as her parents if not more so," Retorted Kaya.

"I do not doubt your words. From what I am told Queen Elsa is as beautiful, intelligent, and cunning as the best leaders of today," Viarmo quickly responded, "Just be sure to remind she has the eyes of the world upon her every now and then, hmm? I trust you have already been planning all forms of circumspection to protect the Queen and her sister from threats both domestic and foreign?"

"Please Viarmo, the task I have been given now may be unusual but it is child's play compared to our escapades awhile back," Kaya smirked, "Nothing she does will be able to slip past me. And if it does, I can always count on her majesty freezing any enemies in solid ice."

Her old companion had to chuckle at that before nodding to the ramp, "Very well, if there is nothing else left to talk about I suppose we must both scurry back to our hiding holes, wouldn't you agree?"

Kaya smiled and took a mock bow in front of her fellow spymaster as she left the ship. "It is always a pleasure to speak to you, your Excellency."

Viarmo replied with the same gesture saying, "The same can be said of you, my fellow shadow." Before turning around and giving the signal for his watchmen to lower their weapons as he walked back to the ship's captain quarters.

Kaya sighed as she pulled back on her hood to cover her ears from the chilly wind that had managed to pick up while the two had talked on the ship. She was not convinced by Viarmo that the King of the Southern Isles had no intention to do anything in response to the discovery of her majesty's powers, but she knew that he understood there was no point in trying to hide it as well. The two had served for years together as spies and had saved one another on more than one occasion. They knew all about each other's strengths and weaknesses from a decade of subterfuge, and were capable of exploiting them to hell and back if the need arose.

The cloaked woman grumbled. The whole thing made Kaya especially apprehensive, and Kaya _really _hated being apprehensive, because when she was nervous she knew she lacked all the details, and when you lacked all the details as a spymaster you end up dead and years of intricacies exposed. All she could do now is hope that she could piece everything together in due time and make sure her lord wouldn't do something incredibly foolish.

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**A/N: Yep, bringing in historical context on this one! Word of god from the creators of Frozen has said that the story takes place in the 1840's in case anyone is wondering. I am a big history nut so you might see me adding similar stuff into future chapters. Like I said at the beginning any criticism that you guys have that would help improve the writing would be awesome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here we go, Chapter 2. A quick recap of things: Thanks again battousai24 for helping out with my first several chapters, you're the best! Any feedback you guys can provide would be great, and finally like I said before I do not own any of the characters, places, or whatever of Frozen.**

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The last week of August had been so gorgeous in Arendelle this year. The sun seemed to brightly shine in the sky the entire day with a small breeze coming through that signaled fall was about to arrive. Everywhere throughout the castle servants, guards, and other personnel rushed to make sure Arendelle castle had a welcoming but regal impression. Elsa sighed on her royal bed as she prepared for another day of what she assumed would be more of the same politics that bombarded the kingdom since the day she was inaugurated.

Not that it was something she didn't want to do. She had firmly made up her mind after ending the eternal blizzard she would do everything in her power to protect the people of her Kingdom, whether that meant establishing trade agreements, purchasing food and supplies from powerful merchants, or make sure that any outside threats would not bring devastation to her people. Everyone thought that she was the only one who had the leadership and will to make sure Arendelle would not only survive, but _prosper_.

She shook her head. How the people trusted her despite all she had done to damage the kingdom she had no idea, but if becoming Queen meant she had the opportunity to make up for her actions, then she would not have it any other way.

She quickly got off the side of the bed and, examining her wardrobe, slipped on the regal clothing provided to her by Gerda and the woman's fellow servants. The dress reminded her of the one she threw off after she ran away from the coronation, when her sister tried to reason with her but she refused out of spite and-

_Relax Elsa_, she thought to herself, _what you did was in the past__. Y__ou can't change it anymore._

She tried to tell herself that often, but try as she might it always ended up creeping back to her. How could she have been so brash and arrogant to abandon her duties and think she could hide out in a castle of solid ice for the rest of her life? The whole thought process behind her previous actions made Elsa sick, but at the same time that voice of reason that always sounded like her young strawberry blond sister came back.

_You can make up for what you did now._

Anna. The thought of her sister made the queen cringe a bit inside. Her loving sibling never believed for a second that Elsa deliberately created the horrible winter. Anna, who was willing to sacrifice her own life for that of a sister who had shut her out practically her entire childhood. Such bravery was unfathomable to the queen. Elsa had wished that the two of them could finally become normal siblings like they should have been once she had finally accepted her powers, but the past month had been far too busy for the both of them to get to know each other.

She decided she was done arguing with herself for the were much bigger things that required her attention if she wanted her people to have any hope of surviving the winter. With a deep breath she opened the door of her room, greeted by her most faithful steward, Axel.

"Hello your majesty," the young man said in his most formal voice possible, "Would you like for me to give you the list of meetings and events planned for today?"

Elsa had to smile at the lad. Axel was six years younger than her and had faithfully carried out any request that she would assign him. The blond boy was certainly shorter than other men his age, but what he lacked in height he made up for in his duty as one of the best servants in the Royal Palace. Elsa had seen it fit that she provided the boy and his family with more than adequate necessities in order to make a living.

"Yes, that would be helpful Axel," responded Elsa.

"Very well," the steward replied, "Beginning at nine o'clock several diplomats from Weselton will arrive in order to renegotiate a trade partnership between our two kingdoms, following that at 10 o'clock the guild master of Arendelle Artisans requests your presence in order to make sure that his workers are adequately equipped, and at ten thirty…"

The young man continued going down the list as he followed his majesty's stride to the throne room. Elsa was almost certain that the boy fancied him. She had routinely spotted the steward blushing at her when he thought the queen was not looking, but she decided to hand wave it off so long as Axel continued to perform admirably like he did.

"Elsa! Hey Elsa!"

The Queen stopped and looked behind her to find her younger sister racing towards her from the courtyard. Well, racing as fast as you can while also trying to not trip over your own skirt anyway. The freckled girl stopped in front of the Queen and her steward, panting with her hands on her knees.

"Lady Anna, the Queen does not need you to run amok around the castle whilst we have guests." Axel eyed her sternly.

Anna tried to say something in response, but all she could do is lift up her hand and continue to catch her breath. It was difficult for Elsa to not chuckle at her sister's very hyperbolic entrance into the castle.

"It is quite alright Axel, thank you. Go now and alert Kai that I will be in the throne room in five minutes." Elsa ordered her steward. She could see the young servant raise his eyebrows at her slightly before sighing.

"Very well your majesty, I will inform him at due haste." And with that he quickly rushed down the hallway.

Elsa turned back to her younger sister, who was busy dusting off her modest green skirt she had decided to wear that day, and all Elsa could do was chuckle at her sister.

"Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance. I never would have thought you would run out of breath from running through the castle." She smiled.

"Try doing it in a skirt and see what happens," Anna sighed.

"I try not to; it tends to make me look less imposing. I have to be the voice and image of our people, remember?" said Elsa, and they both began to walk to the entrance hall,"Now, what is it that you needed from me?"

"Oh, well, nothing really," Anna blushed, "I actually just wanted to walk with you to the throne room, you know, sisterly bonds, get to know each other, that sort of thing."

"Uh huh," Elsa replied dryly, "Maybe you could have planned this little bit better than right before several important meetings."

"Elsa, I'm serious." Anna stopped and put her hands of both of her sister's shoulders. The queen flinched a bit at her younger sibling's touch, she had been slow in getting used to physical contact with others, but the worried expression on Anna's face instantly made Elsa melt and want her to retract her last comment. "I've only know you, the _real_ you, for a little over three weeks. Even then you're always too busy to just relax and spend time with anyone other than dignitaries trying to make ridiculous requests. You are seriously going to stress yourself out if you try to keep this up without letting off some steam."

She slumped her hands down into Elsa's own along with her gaze. "The people worry for you Elsa. _I_ worry for you."

Elsa squeezed Anna's hands in her own before lifting her sister's chin up to face her own before resting it on her cheek. "I know Anna, but you know that I have to take responsibility for what happened to everyone, you must understand that. And whether or not I have no time to rest is not important. What is important is restoring Arendelle as quick as possible, so that we will have what is best for both ourselves and the kingdom."

Elsa knew that Anna was ready to argue back with her further, but luckily the redhead admitted defeat and merely returned Elsa's hand into her own. "You're right, the people are the ones that should come first," Anna sighed, but then a soft smile emerged on her lips, "Besides, I doubt I could have changed your mind about it in the first place. Just be sure to take a breather every now and again, okay?"

Elsa returned the smile and learned down to kiss her younger sister on the forehead, "If it makes you feel any better, I'll do what I can."

Anna beamed back at the queen, the beautiful figure of her sister reappearing from its slump. "Thank you Elsa." Her eyes suddenly returned to that energetic look that made her glow no matter how dark the day was, "Oh, I just remembered! Kristoff is free today and invited me to go with him and Olaf up north later. I need to get out of this thing!" She looked at her long skirt before rushing down the hall back towards her room, "It would be terrible if I had to outrun that big marshmallow you made in this thing again!"

Elsa had to laugh at her wild sister's antics. She could always count on her to make the day a little bit brighter than before. Suddenly the young queen realized she had spent more than the last five minutes with her sister and that she was surely late for the mornings first session. Without another word she sped to the meeting hall as fast as she could, hoping that Kai had managed to delay the no doubt impatient dignitaries long enough for her arrival.

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Anna rushed out of the castle into the front courtyard just in time to find Kristoff and his lovable reindeer Sven pull past the frozen fountain that Elsa had managed to hold in an eternal beautiful frost before slowing to a stop right in front of the castle doors.

Kristoff stepped off of his "Official Arendelle Sleigh of Ice Harvesting and Transportation" before lowering his blond head and bowing before Anna.

"Mademoiselle, your transport has arrived for you; I do hope you forgive my grave delay."

The disheveled ice harvester looked up from his bow and winked at Anna. The redhead could not help but laugh Kristoff's very astute demeanor. She walked up to her escort and took a curtsy in her mountain gearbefore stepping onto the impressive sleigh, "I didn't realize your position as Master Ice Harvester required being so formal in front of royalty."

Kristoff chuckled at the gorgeous girl in front of her before stepping onto the sled and grapping a hold of the reigns. "I would have thought that getting to spend so much more time around the people now you would be able to catch on to sarcasm."

The princess gave him a light punch to his shoulder, "I certainly have! It's just that now and again I just like to go along with it. You were almost being presentable there for a second."

Kristoff laughed and threw up the reigns, spurring Sven to sweep out of the courtyard.

"Sure my lady, I guess that means you also were just 'going along with it' when I told you last week that big ship in the harbor contained the last remaining galleons of the Spanish fleet."

As they pulled across the bridge from the castle to Arendelle itself villagers and townsfolk waved and cried out to the couple as Sven sped along towards the northern mountains where Kristoff explained that was where they would find Olaf trying to make a summertime bouquet. The strong reindeer had to weave in between workers and farmers as they hustled to repair damage to several houses and carry their last bundles of wool to storage.

"I was talking to one of the artisans here in town yesterday," said Kristoff, "He says that the damage caused by the… well, you know, he was saying that they should have most of the households repaired by the time fall has officially arrived."

"That's… that's great. Wonderful actually," Anna looked up to Kristoff to find a look of doubt on his face.

"No really, it is Kristoff. It's just that… I don't know, I never thought it would take this long to bring back everything to the way it was before. But I guess it's never going to _really_ be like it was before, I mean, Elsa's in charge now and everyone knows she has the power to turn summer into a blizzard with a snap of her fingers, and now we have all of these foreigners showing up who have no idea what things are like and-"

"Anna," Kristoff warned the princess, "You're rambling again…"

Anna sighed and slouched down in her seat. By this time they were already going through the northern woods at a steep inclined up the mountains. Huge timber trees scattered the landscape as Sven dodged a series of dark green thickets and bushes.

"I guess I still haven't gotten the hang of controlling my thoughts yet huh?" She looked up at the blond next to her with a soft smile on her face.

"You really haven't," Kristoff smiled back, "But you wouldn't be the same bubbly adorable girl I love if you practiced the art of thinking before speaking."

"And you wouldn't be my favorite Master Ice Harvester and Deliverer if you didn't like to admit you have the same bad habits as me." Anna smirked and learned up to peck the tall blond on the lips.

"So you're saying that you also have a nasty habit of picking your nose in public?"

"Ugh, _Kristoff_! Not right after I kissed you on the _mouth_!" Anna protested, "And I don't think I ever said anything like that!"

"And it must be really difficult to get away in the castle too, what with servants and guards watching your every move! Have you ever managed to get away with it in the throne room when diplomats are also there? I mean at least you don't have to shake their hands or anything like that. It would be really awkward if the Archprince from the Empire of Whatever saw her highness with her finger stuck up her navel."

By this time Anna had already stuck her fingers into both of her ears, loudly proclaiming, "_La la la la la _not listening can't hear whatever you're saying!"

Kristoff laughed and decided he had tormented the young princess long enough. He took his right burly arm and stretched it across over the strawberry blonds shoulder before pulling her in closer so that her head was lying on his breast.

"I take it that her majesty has been having difficulty trying to appease all these foreigners coming in nowadays?"

"Tell me about it. She's practically up to her head in a tide of requests from faraway kingdoms and duchy's. I don't know how she continues to do it." Anna sighed.

"Anna, you know she feels it's her responsibility to the people to do it. Your sister thinks, and these are her words not mine, that she ran away to deal with her own selfish desires while she left the kingdom to freeze to death."

"I know Kristoff, she told me the same thing. But one of these days I'm… I'm just scared that she is going to crack under pressure and lock herself in her room again and not let anyone in to help her and no one is going to know what the kingdom is going to do and-"

"Anna!"Kristoff pulled on the reigns and Sven slid to a halt. The reindeer turned around to face the couple in the sleigh with a look of concern in his brown eyes. The blond closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Look, I'm sorry, but you have to understand. If anyone in this kingdom, _anyone,_ is able to take care of Arendalle, its either Elsa," he took another breath, "or it's you. It has to be. So unless you want to be the one dealing with the problems we are having, the queen is going to have to be the one to do it."

Kristoff saw Anna close her eyes tightly so that her forehead became scrunched up, something the princess occasionally did when she was trying to think or looking for the right words.

"I…you're… you're right Kristoff," Anna sighed with a look of defeat, "I know I couldnt do what Elsa is doing for the kingdom. I just wish there was some way I could help her."

Kristoff gently smiled down to the strawberry blond wrapped around his arms below him, "Right now Anna I think both your sister and I would be happy just seeing that you are. So, are we good?"

There was a long pause before the princess looked back up to return the smile."Yeah, we're good. Thanks Kristoff." She leaned up to lightly kiss the Ice Master on the cheek.

Kristoff winked at his old friend and snapped the reigns and in a second they returned to their quick speed they were at before. Anna appreciated that Kristoff seemed to almost always know how to help the young teenager whenever he could tell something was on her mind.

_Elsa needs to find that type of person_, she realized in the back of her mind.

But that was something the redhead would have to try and orchestrate later. For now Anna decided to close her eyes and simply enjoy the feeling of being wrapped around the shy mountaineer for the rest of the journey up the green summer mountains.

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**Planning on taking the relationship quite slow between the two sisters, there certainly isn't going to be anything smutty between them anytime soon. Other than that, let me know what you guys think and how I can improve! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Everyone get hyped for that True Detective tonight! I'm always half expecting the camera to pan to Mcconaughey and he's literally chewing on the scenery. Yeah, in case you couldn't tell already I probably watch too much HBO :p**

**Anyway, I don't own any of the characters, setting, ect. of Frozen, all that belongs to Disney.**

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"And you are sure that you are capable of carrying your equipment on your own, sir?" The short man asked behind him with apprehension.

"No captain, I am quite sure I can make it through this place on my own, _good day_." Replied Roberto. The entire journey this far north the stout fellow had incessantly pestered him. Almost every day on their journey to this tiny kingdom the captain of the boat (Roberto refused to call any vessel with less than a single mast anything but) had incessantly pestered him, asking him what business a man of such stature and fame could possibly have to do with the Kingdom of Arendelle. Though if truth be told Roberto was starting to wonder the same thing the instant he stepped of the _Pelayo_. All around him he saw burly men with thick beards hauling goods onto and off of nearby ships. Even further he saw townsfolk's and villagers chatting to each other like animated puppets tied to string. He could hear constant laughter and children's voices running through the streets. He half expected the town to start breaking out into song and dance at any moment.

Roberto wasn't sure if these lands made him want to laugh or make him puke what little breakfast he had back into the fjord.

Without another word he grabbed both his leather pack and shouldered his handbag and began walking towards what he assumed to be the central market of town. As he moved through the vendors and their wares he could easily tell that several pairs of eyes were already fixed upon him. He really shouldn't blame them; he had assumed that like in any other kingdom that those hired by the Queen would need to look their most presentable. Case in point he thought it would be fitting to wear his best tunic, one of several vibrant ivory red and yellow colors that he had cherished for quite some time. It certainly helped him stick out when all of the surrounding people wore dull grays, browns, and greens around him.

He knew he did not have to worry though, from the second he saw the people of this place he knew they would be harmless. Like most simpletons these men and women were too busy caring about their own safety and wellbeing to give a man such as him two looks. Though considering what they had been through he could not judge: they discovered their new queen had the power to control the fabric of nature itself, who then promptly whisked a snowstorm to life in the middle of July. It would certainly be more than a bit disconcerting.

It was at this thought when he was within the center of the small market that he saw a burly figure stick out from the crowd quickly approach him. His instincts had Roberto grasp for his sheath in a split second, but he quickly lowered his guard when the tall man came close enough that Roberto saw his garments had the insignia of the Arendelle Royal Crest upon them. For a place such as this he had to admit the guard's uniform was quite impressive; a dark royal green no doubt made superfine broadcloth that helped to identify him as a leading officer.

"You are Mister Cortez I presume?" The large mustachioed man asked him.

"I take it you had little difficulty in locating me?" Roberto smiled and bowed before the guardsman.

The officer eyed the foreigner suspiciously before turning around and walking in the direction he came from. Roberto quickly hauled up his equipment and attempted to match the lumbering strides of the man in front of him. Before the Spaniard had to shift his way through the crowd, but with the great sentinel in front of him the dense crowd swiftly parted for the two of them.

"So, has the Queen or anyone else told you anything about why I was requested?" Roberto asked, realizing a second latter that it was one of the most pathetic attempts at conversation he had ever made. He could already guess by this man's demeanor that his response would be along the lines of-

"I have no concern for why you are here, Spaniard; the only thing I need to know is you are of importance to her majesty, and that is why she ordered I escort you to the Royal Palace."

_More drawn out than expected, but he covered the main points_, Roberto thought in the back of his mind.

"Come now good sir, surely you must have heard a rumor or two as to why such a prestigious and flamboyant man such as me would bother coming to this little hamlet you call a kingdom? Foreigners like me can only mean trouble for your fragile nation." the Spaniard raised his eyebrows towards the giant in front of him, but his escort did not give a glance back to him.

"If you are looking to test my patience little man I can assure you that you will get nowhere. Besides, here we are."

Roberto had to peak his head out behind the uniformed gentleman in order to get a glimpse of the castle he failed to notice while staying in the _Pelayo_. A wide cobble bridge extended across the fjord to reach what he could only assume to be a manmade island that held the entirety of fortress itself. Two guardsmen in green on either side of the bridge saluted their senior officer as they stopped walking and Roberto could see several more figures on watch within the bastion. The walls of the fort were roughly fifteen meters high if the Spaniard had to guess, with the inside stretching up far higher into the blue summer sky.

"Now this is more like it," Roberto thought aloud. He looked up the brazen bodyguard and caught the faintest hint of a smirk twitch out from under his brown mustache.

"The Queen's adviser commanded that I escort you to the castle and nothing more, I trust that you can find the main hall yourself?"

"Indeed, thank you master sentinel," the Spaniard took a long arching bow before his accomplice, "I shall remember our fateful first encounter for many years to come. Now, I believe that your duties require you to save puppies from trees while fighting off some sort of abominable snowman?"

Before he had even finished speaking though the gruff captain already started walking back towards the town, ignoring whatever the foreigner had said. Roberto chuckled to himself before getting a better grip of his inventory and strolling across the expansive overpass.

* * *

"Very well Mister Addvar, I will do everything in my power to make sure your workers have the necessary tools to finish any construction efforts before the month's end. Is there anything further you require?" Elsa asked the surprisingly thin Master of Artisans.

"No your majesty, that is all, I am grateful for your patience and time." The older gentleman bowed in his workmen clothing before exiting the hall. The meeting had been far quicker and to the point than either of them had expected, giving Elsa some much needed time to relax out of her regal posture and slouch on the large throne. Addvar was a good man albeit a rather poor negotiator, but luckily for him it was also in the Queens own best interests to get the kingdom repaired and presentable as quickly as possible. She sighed and placed her head into her hand which was lying across the arm of the great chair.

"My Queen, do you require anything from me or anyone else before your next appointment?" Axel asked from her right, who had diligently scribbled down the entire conversation in his steward's seat.

"No, no Axel I'm fine." Elsa sighed, the young man continuing to scribble down notes of some sort. "Actually," she leaned up and smiled softly to the steward, "I could use a drink. Water will suffice; just make sure it is cold."

"Of course your majesty," Axel quickly left his seat and scurried to the kitchen. Just as the steward closed the door behind him, the front door to the thrones left opened and "The Queens adviser" bowed and entered.

"What is it you require Kaya?" Elsa turned her icy blue eyes to the hooded woman.

"Nothing from me your majesty," Replied the older woman as she took off her hood. "I just wanted to inform you that the foreigner I urged you to hire has arrived in town and will be here within the next few minutes."

"I still don't like that you did this without my permission Kaya," the temperature of the room dropped several degrees, "We could have simply recruited one of our own soldiers to perform the task. Why you chose to hire this Spaniard who appears to only be loyal to his sword is beyond me."

"Because this is a matter where I will only settle for the very best, and you should too." Kaya seemed oblivious to the chill grew in the hall.

"If you only settle for the best then I have to wonder why you are still in this kingdom."

"I told you and your father before you the same thing," Kaya chuckled, "I always love a challenge."

Just then the great doors at the entrance of the throne room opened and Elsa saw for the first time what this mercenary actually looked like: a rather strapping man in elegant clothing with curly black hair and a beard the from a distance seemed like it practically covered half his face. The sellsword had an aura of bravado as he marched across the long hall before bowing to his knee in front of the throne's steps.

"Your grace, Queen Elsa, it is an honor to finally meet you," The Spaniard glanced at Kaya before looking up to the queen with a roguish smile on his face, "I trust you have already been told of my arrival?"

Elsa resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the hired sword before her, coolly stating, "Indeed, my adviser has just informed me."

"Well then, let's not waste any time about it, I don't want to catch a cold in this place." The foreigner shivered before quickly lowering his head to face the floor of the room, "Your majesty, I, Roberto Cortez de Madrid, swear on my honor as both a member of The Order of Santa Elba and as a master swordsman that it will be my solemn duty to carry out any task that you, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, believe befits me, 'til either my death or termination of contract. _Así que me puede llevar un paso más cerca de completar la comprensión_."

The room remained silent for what felt like an eternity before all three looked up to see a young steward fumbly trying to open the great door leading to the kitchen and carry a cup and pitcher of water at the same time.

"I dearly apologize for my delay your majesty," Axel muttered as he fumbled to close the door behind him, "The kitchen staff informed me that somehow they lacked ice of any sort, how so remains a great mystery, so I hope that water alone will be-oh..." The blond teenager finally gazed at the sight before him. Elsa had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing at the unmistakable tint of bright red that flooded the boy's cheeks.

"Y-your grace! I-I-I humbly apologize for my intrusion of your, um, important meeting you are, ah, currently having. I-If it pleases you I will-"

"It is quite alright Axel," Elsa smiled at the steward and he quickly breathed a sigh of relief. "Our meeting has actually just been adjourned. Kaya, I trust you can lead our new member of the court to his quarters?"

"Of course your grace," The adviser gave a slight bow, "Come now master swordsman, I will accompany you to your room."

The Spaniard quickly grabbed his inventory in both hands and proceeded with Kaya out the door to the hall where she came from. Elsa was furiously turning the cogs in her mind, still not believing what Kaya had said earlier and wondering why a man with a name like Roberto Cortez de Madrid would bother with such a petty Kingdom as their own. She eventually sighed and gave up, she didn't want to waste all her energy on the man's intentions when she was less than halfway through the politics of the day.

"I apologize for not knowing about any appointments with a new courtier, I had not expected that man's arrival at all." Axel fumbled for words as he poured a glass of the translucent liquid for his Queen. He handed the lukewarm cup to Elsa and at the instant she held the glass herself the water cooled to below freezing and ice formed at the bottom. The young steward always marveled at even the little instances his majesty openly used her incredible powers. Like many things with the young man, Elsa ignored the boys fascinations and simply sipped the frozen liquid while mentally preparing herself for the next dignitary.

"I did not expect the man either Axel." Responded Elsa. At least, she was not yet sure what to expect _from_ the man.

* * *

Kaya quickly walked down the elegant hallways of the castle, not caring how the Spaniard behind her marveled at the impressive archetecture of the palace and its decorative paintings and colors. She had other business to attend to with foreign merchants selling necessary goods at inflated prices and she wanted to get this over with as quick as possible.

Knowing Roberto though, that would probably not be the case.

"You know, for such a tiny Kingdom they really went all out on the royalty. I mean, you have hamlets and cottages rising up the mountains that could probably fit a small brothel and its three whores if your lucky and here we have a citadel that can rival The Red Fort. Just think of the disparity of this place. A damn shame if you ask me."

"I think you could tell upon your arrival here Mister Cortez that the people here are doing more than well off." Kaya did not glance back.

"How could you not?" The swordsman laughed, "It looks like the worst crime this place has ever seen was when the baker's wife was having an affair with his best friend! Tell me, am I not the most dangerous person around for the next give or take one hundred kilometers?"

"If you exclude me, the giant snow monster in the mountains, Captain Halden, and _especially_ Queen Elsa herself, then yes, you just might."

"Ha, so these people _do_ have to deal with evil snowmen! " Kaya finally sighed a turned around to find Roberto with his equipment dropped on the floor and one hand on his chest and the other on his face. It felt like far too much time had passed before the annoying bastard had finally stopped his convulsive laughing and was reduced to mear chuckling. "Oh man, now _that_, that is too much!" Roberto smiled with tears in his eyes.

"Just how much of that was you wasting my time?" Kaya turned back around and continued walking.

"Less than you would have thought," the Spaniard grinned and caught up with her stride, "And you really don't think I can beat that oh so stoic giant you have for a Capitan that I had the pleasure of meeting? I mean, you I believe. Evil snowman, maybe. The Queen I don't really want to find out. But that man? Please Kaya, one look at him and I knew all he needs is to get that stick he's got up his ass pulled out from yours truly."

"Always so eloquent Roberto, do you use lines like that with the sluts you pay to bed yourself in order to make that little brain of yours believe they are actually in love with you?" Kaya quipped.

"Very nice, but as I recall it seemed to be quite effective with you my dear. I just hope her majesty doesn't find out what happened bewteen us not so long ago. She might get the wrong idea as to why you personally picked me for..." Roberto waved his hands in the air, "Whatever it is you need me to do. Actually, why do you need someone like me here? Do the guardsmen need someone else to fight off the wolves while the regiment deals with a drunkard who took one too many swigs of wine? Do people even drink anything heavier than water around here? Because if so we are going to make some serious adjustments if you don't want me going mad."

Kaya thanked the gods Roberto did not attempt to pursue his original question and for finally showing them the location of the swordsman's new quarters. If she had to hear anything more from him she would be the one going mad. _Probably another one of his plans to ge__t__ me into bed with him again_, she sighed to herself.

"Here we are Mister Cortez," Kaya swiftly opened the locked door to reveal the modest guest room the Spaniard would be staying in. Roberto layed down his inventory on the queen-sized bed before examining the view the solitary window provided of the Kingdom down below them.

"My my, very impressive your grace. Did you select my room I would be occupying yourself? Am I a door or two away from getting into your own quarters?"

"And here I was thinking that you wouldn't have given me a second look the moment you saw her majesty in the flesh, wrapped up in that coronation outfit. I would have thought you'd be strategizing how to get her clothes off in the least amount of time and words possible. It's nice to know I'm still loved."

"With such a spiel as that I would be more worried for the Queen's safety from you." The Spaniard winked, "But you should know well Kaya it is dangerous to get into a relationship with your employer. Besides, I wouldn't want to do anything with a woman who can literally freeze me into a block of ice, I imagine it would be quite hazardous to my health."

"Right, we could keep this going on for hours-"

"-all the way into the night even-"

"_But_," Kaya interrupted, "I have business far more important to deal with in town. Make yourself acquainted however do not leave the castle grounds. By the queen's order."

"Very well then," Roberto answered coyly and walked to the door frame and leaned on its side, "But if you get lonely tonight, I'll be here if you need someone to serenade you until you are swooning from my wit and grace."

"As long as I get to cut off your tongue afterwards, then maybe." The spymaster quickly slammed the door in Roberto's face.

"You'll have to give me some time to think that deal over!" He yelled through the wood. Kaya rolled her eyes, but she knew that if there was anyone she could trust with the task the Queen requested, it could be him. Despite his crass and ego, the spymaster knew Roberto's upbringing would force him to honor his part of the bargain, whether he liked it or not. As she pulled up her hood over her head once more Kaya prayed to whatever deities were left that they would keep him out of trouble for the time being.

* * *

**A/N: ********As you can probably already tell the OC are not exactly the same as they are in 4mation's story.** Thoughts on characterization? Do you guys think it is fine as it is or should I change it up a little? Let me know, any helpful criticism is great! :)  



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